Ald. Daniel La Spata speaks to EVA members on Zoom. Live meetings resume in August. East Village Association membership meeting June 7, 2021 via Zoom. Presiding: Bob Zwolinski, treasurer Chicago has extended priority funding to West Town violence reduction and street outreach services. Ald. Daniel La Spata told EVA members June 7 that the city plans to contract with a number of agencies to operate by July. The city's Violence Reduction Dashboard shows 14 criminal sexual assault and 60 aggravated assault victims this year, compared with 9 rapes and 41 aggravated assaults at the same point in 2020. The violence reduction strategy works with young people who are violent crime victims or perpetrators. The violence interrupters build relationships, mediate disputes and connect people to social services. Victim outreach includes shooting. aggravated battery and assault victims. La Spata asked for feedback on how the city should spend $1.8 billion in federal American Rescue Pla...

East Village Association membership meeting May 3, 2021 on Zoom. Presiding: Bob Zwolinski, treasurer Rep. Mike Quigley got his COVID shot the day after the Capitol riot, with no side effects. A staff physician told the congressman most people have no reaction to the vaccine—but then again, an allergic reaction wouldn't have much chance against the Jan. 6 adrenaline. The 5th District representative visited a West Town neighborhood cleanup in April; 60 volunteers signed up, and picked up a lot of face mask litter, Neal McKnight reported. Quigley followed up May 3 with a virtual visit with EVA members. Citing FBI Director Christopher Wray on the threat posed by homegrown terrorism , he reflected on the insurrection. He plans to push for accountability and change on the House appropriations, intelligence and oversight committees. "Just about anybody who was there could figure out what we needed," Quigley said, "a retractable fence, a fast-response team, a better...

Congressman states his priorities in Zoom session East Village Association membership meeting May 4, 2020, via Zoom. Presiding: John Gantner, president U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley says recovery from the COVID-19 lockdown might require $2 trillion to $3 trillion in infrastructure spending–not only roads and bridges but also schools, parks, Blue Line improvements, broadband access and shoreline protection. "It's a little surreal we're over $3 trillion right now" in federal aid, Quigley told EVA members from his Washington office in a May 4 Zoom meeting. Quigley offered his staff's help navigating the Paycheck Protection Program and other small business initiatives. "They say it's a stimulus bill and it's not. It's really a survival bill." Nursing home residents and people at high risk will need more protection, he said, with summer COVID-19 transmission expected to drop by only 20%. Quigley noted the budget sent to his House subcommitte...

Ald. Brian Hopkins and U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley talk to EVA members Feb. 3 at Homestead, 1924 W. Chicago Ave. East Village Association membership meeting Feb. 3, 2020 at Homestead, 1924 W. Chicago Ave. Presiding: Michael VanDam, president "A congressional report should sound like an aldermanic report," said U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley (5th) on his annual East Village Association visit, this year shared with Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd). But Quigley slyly noted the difference: His office handles requests for White House tour reservations, but lately not so many. "You will be angry you will be frustrated," Quigley said Feb. 3, anticipating the failed Senate vote to remove President Trump, "but accountability lingers and it does matter." Oversight from federal prosecutors and House investigators continues over money laundering and other issues, Quigley said. "Little land mines are going to pop up." He noted that Congress had appropriated $420 million f...

Rep. Mike Quigley speaks Jan. 7 in the monthly EVA membership meeting at the Happy Village. East Village Association membership meeting Jan. 7, 2019, at Happy Village, 1059 N. Wolcott Ave. Presiding: Michael VanDam, president Chicago Avenue, Division Street bridges Soliman Khudeira of the Chicago Department of Transportation presented tentative plans for bridge construction at the Chicago River. A wider Division Street bridge at the North Branch accommodate two lanes of traffic each way, plus a left turn lane and riverwalk. Work should start in the third quarter of 2020 and finish at the end of 2021. On Chicago Avenue, a temporary bridge will be in place next month to replace the Halsted Street viaduct now being removed. The permanent bridge will be similar to the Division Street project. Expect construction to extend from the start of 2021 till mid-2022. 311 service upgrade Nelly Benitez of The William Everett Group demonstrated the new 311 Chi mobile app, part of ...

U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley speaks to East Village Association, Jan. 8 at the Happy Village. Other speakers included Sameena Mustafa, Mike Skoulsky and Alyx Pattison. East Village Association membership meeting Jan. 8, 2018 Happy Village, 1059 N. Wolcott Ave. Three candidates in the March 20 primary election answered questions from EVA members Jan. 8, and the builder renovating St. Boniface Church as condos gave a progress report. Sameena Mustafa gave a critique of incumbent Rep. Mike Quigley. Although Mustafa agrees with the Democrat on many issues, Quigley voted to increase military spending and accepts PAC donations from from companies like Caterpillar that support fracking. Developer Mike Skoulsky is awaiting city review of a redevelopment agreement. St. Boniface church at 1358 W. Chestnut St. to 17 condos. A new building next door would have 24 condos. All would be 2- and 3-bedroom units. The former rectory lot will become a two-story building for Northwestern Settlem...

Rep. Mike Quigley speaks to EVA members at the Happy Village. East Village Association membership meeting July 10, 2017 Happy Village, 1059 N. Wolcott Ave. By Michelle Hayward Healthy Soil Compost; Openlands tree grants Michael VanDam opened the July 10 meeting at 7pm at the Happy Village and introduced Business Minute: Healthy Soil Compost turns household compost into fine dirt. Firm provides bucket for organic waste, picks up weekly or biweekly.  $28/month for onetime pickup; $40 weekly. Firm diverts about 10 tons a month from landfills. Megan Humphrey from Openlands gave presentation on neighborhood tree grants . Openlands is the oldest metropolitan conservation group in the country, focused on Chicago and Illinois.  In Chicago, it gives grants for planting trees.  Neighborhood associations can apply and Openlands will provide 40 trees to be planted within 2 or 3 blocks of one another. This area is a native oak and hickory forest.  Sites need to be in a parkway or a Chicago p...

Benjamin Wolf, Democratic candiadate for 5th District U.S. Representative, with East Village Association president Michael VanDam at Happy Village in Chicago. By Michelle Hayward East Village Association membership meeting April 3, 2017 Happy Village 1059 N. Wolcott Ave. President Michael VanDam opened the meeting and introduced himself at the new EVA president. Presentation Our speaker for the evening was Benjamin Thomas Wolf, running for the U.S. House of Representatives, 5th District of Illinois. EVA does not endorse a particular candidate but does welcome all political candidates to share their platform with our community. Candidate Wolf presented his background and career highlights in public service covering years with the FBI’s Espionage and Counter Terrorism units and the State Department. A snapshot on some of the positions presented: Supports term limits. Elections to be funded by constituent donations, not money from corporations. Agenda: Free health ca...

The war on terror is not going to end in our lifetime, in the view of Congressman Mike Quigley. From his vantage point on the House intelligence and appropriations committees, 90 percent of terrorist plots have failed; they succeed only when we haven't seen them coming. Quigley talks about gun violence and other matters at EVA's June 6 meeting.

EVA treasurer K.K. Goh and Rep. Mike Quigley at the 2014 EVA block party. East Village Association minutes for Aug. 3, 2015, by Michael VanDam Congressman Quigley Rep. Mike Quigley joined the EVA meeting to offer an update on the Illinois 5th District. Among the highlights: The new district map has expanded substantially: It’s now equivalent to 15 Chicago wards. Definitely let him know if you’re coming to D.C. He can help out with White House tours, Capitol tours and other events, and loves to see his constituents. He has recently been appointed to the House Select Committee on Intelligence , working on issues of national and international security. He continues on the House Appropriations Committee, focusing on issues of transportation and urban development. Climate change is a particularly important issue to him and he supports President Obama’s recent emphasis on the issue.

Rep. Mike Quigley (center) and Ron Wachholtz speak to EVA members at Happy Village. East Village Association membership minutes for June 2, 2014, submitted by Catherine Garypie PRESENTATION BY RON WACHHOLTZ OF COLLABORACTION THEATER This group is 18 years old and on the 3rd floor of the Flat Iron Building, 1579 N. Milwaukee Ave. The 14th annual "Sketchbook” show runs thru June 15; 19 shows in two hours (30 sec to 15 min) from around the country, in two adjoining theaters. “Crime Scene Chicago: Let Hope Rise 2014”: July and August this summer, partnering with the Chicago Park District, this production will be presented in four parks. On Fridays there will be peace rallies, barbecue and dance competition. “This is Not a Cure for Cancer” was the spring 2014 production. Collaboraction has a new board of directors, with 11 people on board. One big reason to support the theater: For every dollar spent in theater, $11 goes to the community. Free tickets were given to EVA member...

Collaboaraction Theatre's Sketchbook festival runs till June 15. Monday's East Village Association meeting will have updates on Trader Joe's, street festivals and other issues, a presentation from Collaboraction Theatre, and possibly a visit from U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley. You're invited to attend at 7 pm in Happy Village, 1059 N. Wolcott Ave. Trader Joe's Developer Smithfield Properties has met with the EVA board and LaSalle II school council about plans for a Trader Joe's grocery at 1815 W. Division St., the former Miller Lumber site. Both groups reviewed a draft traffic plan from consultant Kenig Lindgren O’Hara Aboona. It would change the direction of two streets, Honore to the south and Marion to the north. The consultant told EVA that the plan would not improve Division Street traffic, and that Augusta Boulevard would have to be removed from the boulevard system to allow trucks. The location across Honore from LaSalle II also makes liquor sales agains...

The Polish Triangle's prototypal transit-oriented development has a long history. The 1611 West Division location was a YMCA , a Pizza Hut and (at least on the drawing boards) a Walgreens drugstore. Next month it opens with 99 apartments above a PNC bank and Intelligentsia coffee bar. This site has posted more than 700 articles since 2007, not counting archived editions of the East Village Association newsletter . Names have changed for prominent sites: News about the 1611 West Division address is filed under Pizza Hut and lead anchor PNC Bank. Similarly, the several Fifield Cos. apartment proposals for 1822-50 W. Chicago Ave. are known for the vacant site's last building, the AAA Distributing news agency, and its onetime prospects for renovation as the Chicago Bowl nightclub. Search engines and real-estate blogs such as Curbed cite this site for background on these developments. Some of our most often-viewed posts date from several years back, including stubbornly p...

East Village Association membership meeting minutes, Aug. 5, 2013 Submitted by Meghan Quinn Guest Speaker: Congressman Mike Quigley Mike Quigley stopped by to talk about his work representing Illinois’ 5th Congressional District. He pointed out that there are approximately 750,000 people in his district, which covers a wide geographical area, and includes Old Town as well as Hinsdale. He touched on the well-known legacy of the 5th district, and infamy of a few of its past representatives, namely Dan Rostenkowski and Rod Blagojevich. Quigley has proposed smart policies to crack down on corruption and increase government transparency. He introduced the State Ethics Law Protection Act with Sen. Mark Kirk to target pay-to-play politics. Quigley supports issues such as environmental protection, equal rights, and ethical, open government. According to Quigley's website , during his time on the Cook County Board of Commissioners, Quigley sponsored every piece of major environmental le...

Rep. Mike Quigley ( Chicago Tribune photo ) As the U.S. House of Representatives heads toward its August recess this weekend, Rep. Mike Quigley has set the Happy Village as an early stop on his return to the 5th Congressional District. Quigley says he will attend Monday's 7pm East Village Association meeting at 1059 N. Wolcott Ave. Quigley will speak for 15 minutes and answer questions. In recent weeks, the House Appropriations Committee member fought to restore a $190 million cut from Asian carp control and Great Lakes cleanup , fund community policing and roll back an increase for the B61 nuclear bomb . He also pushed for reduced nuclear stockpiles and increased firearms tracking and National Security Agency oversight . The Aug. 5 EVA meeting will also continue discussion of the Ashland Bus Rapid Transit plan. Joe Iacobucci, the Chicago Transit Authority's planning and policy manager, has agreed to attend. Neal McKnight and Scott Rappe of EVA met with CTA and Chicago ...

About 50 community members testified at an April 8 meeting on the Peabody-Otis school merger. Next hearing is 5-7pm Friday at Clemente High. East Village Association board meeting minutes for April 8 Submitted by Kok Keng Goh Speakers for May 6 Congressman Mike Quigley , Mary McInerney of Nextdoor.com. Business Minute: MB Financial (home mortgages, loans), Comrade Cycles. Consider reaching out to Polish Museum, Hoosier Mama. West Town Library community event sponsored by Redbox Redbox contacted the West Town library to fund a community connector event, to promote the creative-artist community. Redbox has chosen five U.S. cities, Chicago being one of them, and only West Town library was selected. Gladys Anselmo is spearheading the event, expected by July or September. Other community organizations (Chicago Grand, Eckhart Park, Commercial Park) were contacted. Suggested ideas include displaying artwork on building and library windows (vendor contacted for projection on building); f...

Nicole Sopko describes the Upton's Naturals construction at 2054 W. Grand Ave. East Village Association membership meeting minutes for February 4, 2013, submitted by Meghan Quinn Business Minutes Pure Vibes Fitness Manager Kristi Burris stopped by to talk about innovative training approaches at Pure Vibes Fitness, 834 N. Ashland Ave. Established in 2010, Pure Vibes Fitness is Chicago’s only accelerated training center, using Power Plates in most of classes. Pure Vibes Fitness is also a functional training center, encouraging exercise using one’s own body, along with tools such as kettle bells and TRX suspension. For more info, go to website www.purevibesfitness.com . Upton’s Naturals Upton's Naturals is a Chicago-based natural foods producer specializing in vegan/vegetarian meat alternatives. Its main product is seitan, which is made from the protein in wheat. Both Whole Foods Market and Green Grocer Chicago carry Upton's Naturals products . Upton’s visited EVA to a...

When members of the 113th Congress were sworn in Jan. 3, East Village got a new congressman: Mike Quigley. The southern edge of Illinois' 5th congressional district now ends roughly at Damen, Grand and Milwaukee avenues. Aside from Goose Island, it's the only stretch of Quigley's North Side turf that extends past Division Street. East Village now has three aldermen (maybe more during the ward remap transition) but only one congressman. So it's get-aquainted time for former constituents of Luis Gutierrez. Tim Nazanin, Rep. Quigley's outreach coordinator, will sound out community concerns at Monday night's East Village Association meeting in the Happy Village, 1059 N. Wolcott. Rep. Quigley, a former Cook County commissioner, was elected to the House four years ago. In this session he'll have a role in the budget debate as Illinois' only representative on the House Appropriations Committee. Rep. Quigley is also the state's regional whip in the D...

East Village Association board meeting minutes, Dec. 10, 2012, submitted by Meghan Quinn Holiday party Gladys Alcazar-Anselmo and Peter Locke have been hard at work securing a location and details for the event. The party will be held at 6pm Jan. 25 at Banco Popular, 1445 W Chicago Ave. The aim is to keep it simple, with drinks and appetizers. Alcazar-Anselmo is working on securing raffle prizes to encourage people to bring new neighbors by entering them in a raffle if they do. The idea was brought up to auction off the old East Village signs. E-mail Locke or Alcazar-Anselmo with any ideas, more donations or raffle prizes, etc. There will be a $10 entrance fee that will cover expenses. Next meeting’s speakers Business minute: A representative from Pure Vibes Fitness at 834 N. Ashland Ave. will give a presentation. There may also be someone from Village Yoga, which is located above Pure Vibes in the same building.

Perspective view of 1822-50 W. Chicago Ave., September 2012 East Village Association board meeting minutes, Nov. 12, 2012 Submitted by Meghan Quinn Holiday Party 2012 Directors would like to have it on Dec. 3, the first Monday night in December. [Date and details are not final at this posting.] Event will be potluck and we will try to get 2 or 3 restaurants to sponsor or provide food. Neal McKnight will ask 3 Floyds to donate beer. Next meeting’s speakers Business Minute: Meghan Quinn will ask Pure Vibes Fitness and Inside Home for Jan. 7 membership meeting. Idea floated to have five or so businesses at a time at each meeting to represent areas of the neighborhood, i.e. Chicago Avenue Business Minute. Guest Speaker: McKnight will contact U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley ’s office to see if someone is available. Another idea would be to have a speaker from city Housing and Economic Development to discuss the department's vision.